


Serendipity

by Anaredrina



Series: Serendipity [1]
Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Baby Leon is cute, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lemon, Post-Resident Evil 2, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Reader-Insert, Rule 34, Vanilla, college age reader, law enforcement reader, mentions of suicidal behavior, that means it takes place in 1998
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:48:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27230740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anaredrina/pseuds/Anaredrina
Summary: You didn't think that one random phone call in the middle of the night would change your life so drastically, and neither did Leon.
Relationships: Leon S. Kennedy & Reader, Leon S. Kennedy & You, Leon S. Kennedy/Reader, Leon S. Kennedy/You
Series: Serendipity [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988086
Comments: 5
Kudos: 48





	Serendipity

Tonight was a relatively peaceful night, in the beginning of October, 1998. You had the next day off, and could sink into your bed without many worries or thoughts on your mind at all, aside from the fact that you're due to be evicted by November first and you were completely broke.

When you were first given your eviction notice, you sent in an ad to the local newspaper and wherever else you were allowed to hang it for a roommate, looking to split the rent in a new apartment. Nobody had called, and it was stressing you out more and more each day, and you were practically broke. Fresh out of college, currently taking part in a program for new detectives and investigators.

Perhaps it had something to do with you? Or your odd request for a male roommate, just screaming for something raunchy? In truth, you wanted a male roommate because you did not feel secure or safe at all living alone, let alone during times like these. If anyone believed your reasoning, was their problem and not yours. 

* * *

> _Looking for: male roommate_
> 
> _I am a recent college graduate and work in law enforcement, female, single with no pets looking for a male roommate to lease a new apartment and split rent and utilities, age 18-30 ideally with a normal working schedule. Bedrooms will be separate. No children. No smoking allowed. No drugs allowed. Shared bathroom and kitchen. Mostly furnished, bring your own bedroom furniture._
> 
> _What I expect from a roommate: cleanliness, responsibility and abiding by the law. That is all._   
>  _If you believe you fit the criteria and are interested, please call the number below._

* * *

You had almost given up hope at this point, but you were reluctant to cave and call your parents and explain the situation, purely out of shame. You were still hoping though, in the little time you had left. Given that yes, your ad seemed to be looking for an implied fuck buddy but you had such harsh criteria, such as law abiding and responsible, yes, it shouldn't surprise you that nobody called. 

But someone did, eventually. 

It was about 3 AM when your phone rang. You were hesitant to pick up, thinking that anyone calling at 3 AM is surely up to no good. Nonetheless, that little spark of hope at the edges of your mind urged you to pick up the telephone, and at least figure out who's on the other end, calling at such an unreasonable hour.

“Hello, y/n here. Who am I speaking with?”

You could tell whoever was on the other end of the line must be calling from a mobile phone, you could hear the wind rushing as if a window were open, and it sounded like the person must be driving. That's a bit shady in itself. But the caller identified himself readily. 

“Hi uh, my name is Leon Kennedy. I saw your ad in the paper, sorry for calling so late it's just…”

The audio went fuzzy for a bit, but you could tell he either stopped the car or closed the windows and that dreadful noise of wind rushing against the speaker stopped. 

“I'm a police officer too. Just got re-assigned to your city a few days ago, in fact I'm on my way right now… So that's why I'm calling so late. I'm sorry.”

Leon wasn't telling the full truth, but he wasn't lying. He was sent to your city after interrogations by the U.S Government, and your city served as a primary base location for special divisions with a renowned police department and many well known agents had trained here. You were still far below Leon's accomplishments even though he’s just had one day on the job. You were more interested in becoming a detective, and had just finished your degree in forensics and psychology. You were currently at the very beginning of your journey up to the ranks.

Your stomach fluttered in anticipation. Would this man perhaps help you out of your unfortunate situation? Maybe have more than just your profession in common? Was that a bit too much to expect? Maybe that’s just your desperation speaking.

“You're the only one that called, to be honest. What do you mean by ‘on your way?’”  
“I just passed the city limits. I was going to stay in a motel, but I can't work out of a damn motel forever, you know? And… I'm not in the mood to stay in a motel.”  
“I don't think anyone is.”  
“That’s...True.”

Just like the first time on his first day, he wasn't really given much to work with in terms of housing in his newly assigned location and occupation. Due to concerns about the virus, Leon was permitted to not live on campus if he wished. Shouldn’t that mean he should stay away from you as well?... Nevertheless, he felt that he was safe. He was the one with first hand experience after all.

The man sounded nervous, but you already felt sympathetic towards the calm voice on the other end of the line. He sounded very sincere.

“So the spot is still free?”   
“Yes. I'm… But... I'm broke right now, so I could only put down the deposit on the apartment. Without anyone to split the bills and stuff I can't afford to move in, I've got till the end of the month before I'm evicted from my current place actually.”

You sounded a bit embarrassed revealing your situation to the young man, but it was now or never. Perhaps that’s a bit too dramatic, but this would likely be your last chance.

“I see. I know this sounds weird and sudden, but could you give me the address or something nearby if you want to meet up and talk about this? I can't check in until morning anywhere here, so I just have to sit around and wait. I've been driving for almost a whole damn week.”

Did he really think calling somebody at 3 am would make them likely to want to get out of bed and get dressed just to meet a stranger? How naïve is he? Was he really driving for that long? You also felt bad for trying to tell him to stay in a motel after agreeing that nobody really wants to stay there. 

He chuckled audibly. “I'm no Ted Bundy, I promise you that.” He paused for a bit, and you thought you heard a sharp exhale. “Look, I'm just 21, my life is a mess, and I can’t find a place on my own. I think the fact I called at 3 in the morning shows how bright I am.”

You smiled, but didn't elicit any audible indicator that you were amused. 

“There's a diner around the corner. What do you say we meet up there to sort this out?” That was a rather bold decision on your end, first of all, you don't know who the hell this is. Second, you didn't want to leave your apartment late at night. Third, this is just crazy. 

“Sure, just give me the address and I'll figure it out. Oh, and… Food is on me if you need anything.” 

You gave him the address, still not responding to his comments, trying to seem as detached as possible for now. Leon craned his neck around to look at the poorly lit street signs at the intersection he pulled over at. “I think I’m on that street.” 

You verified with him that he's at the right location, and told him to go ahead to the diner, telling him where it is. You had a good idea where he must be based on what he told you, and you had maybe 10 minutes to get there. For him, it was just further along the road by the looks of it. 

“Great. I'll be there in 10.”

“Sure thing. See you!”

It felt awkward to hang up, but that's what you had to do of course to get ready, put on some decent clothes, or PJs, and rub the sleepiness from your eyes. Additionally, you straightened out some of the pillows on your sofa and put away some dishes quickly in case you would be crazy enough to let him stay with you, since he had nowhere else to go. He already sounded terribly nice, and it wouldn’t surprise you if you end up letting him sleep on your couch.

Leon pulled up to the diner you mentioned, and figured you must be on foot if you said you'd be there in ten minutes, but relatively close. So he kept an eye on his wrist watch, and stayed in the car. He worried if it would seem creepy if he greets you coming out of his car under the flickering street lamp, or if he should just go ahead and walk in. He was the only other person there otherwise. 

Admittedly, he had been drinking while driving. Not a very good idea for a police officer. He rummaged through his belongings and fished out a bottle of cheap cologne and a stick of gum, hopefully so you wouldn't notice that he smelled like alcohol. He used the mirror in his sun visor to double check his hair and comb it neatly. Lucky for both you and him, he just showered for the first time in about a week just a few hours ago at a rest stop. Otherwise he'd be nearly unpresentable after numerous days on the road, taking as little breaks as humanly possible, trying to stay moderately buzzed but still able to drive, and not arouse any suspicion. The recent events were still far too much for him to process while sober. He was just a nervous wreck held together by the alcohol in his bloodstream for now.

He wasn't in uniform, but he got his new badge and jacket out for good measure in case you had any doubts. The last thing he wants to do is screw this up. And he didn't want to tell you the full story of what happened to him yet, and the full scope of his “re-assignment”, or let you see any of his new identification indicating that he is any different than a rut of the mill rookie police officer. While he was pulled out of the hectic ongoing for hefty interrogation, and various government agencies were already giving him massive legal breaks, they couldn't get him into training to become an agent before he was 23 on top of this mess, so they'd keep him around as an officer before that, effectively chained to a leash for the time being. To which he agreed. That is how he ended up here, sent on his merry way about a week ago. But he had no clue how devastating and disturbing all that time spent alone would be. Nobody wanted to talk to him or help him, they just wanted information before sending him back.

In the rear view mirror, he saw your figure approaching. It must be you; it was definitely you. Nobody else would be walking around here otherwise. He smiled to himself before stepping out of the car, and locking it. His heart was already racing a bit, even though you were just a shadowy silhouette at this point. He couldn't help but notice just how short you were, out here all alone in the dark. 

As you saw the shadowed figure emerge from the only parked car in the parking lot, you figured that must be him. His silhouette didn't look extraordinarily tall or burly, but he's a rookie after all. All you could make out was his ash colored hair with the light from the street lamp shining on it, albeit intermittently because it was defective and flickering and casting overhead shadows onto his face. When you were close enough to make out some details on his face and close enough to speak to him without raising your voice, he stepped forward to meet you, right under that stupid flickering light and extended out his hand. 

“I'm Leon. The guy from the phone.” 

Well who the fuck would it be otherwise?...

The young man smiled nervously, and the flickering street lamp was only randomly granting you glimpses of his face, and the same could be said for him when trying to make out what you looked like. You extended your hand, and didn't expect a firm handshake at all. He must have noticed that he may have been a bit too eager squeezing your hand, and apologized. “Want to head in?”

“Sure.”

It stood out to you that he opened the door for you, even though that's generally a kind gesture. As you passed him, it didn't escape you that he smelled of booze, mint and cologne, presumably to mask the scent of liquor. 21, just sworn in, and drinking on the road?...

You did see his coat with the badge though, and dismissed your worries for now. Must just be in a rough spot in his life, like you. 

You sat down in a booth, and the woman behind the counter asked if she could bring you anything to drink. 

Leon asked for some coffee, and quietly asked you if you'd like anything. “Water is fine.” You really didn't want to take any money from his pockets no matter how hungry you may be.

“And some water, please,” He added. After turning his face back to you, both of you just looked at each other silently for a few seconds. Maybe it's the cop mindset to be analytical, because you both did it. 

“You look pretty young.”   
“I'm just [your age],” you answered, meekly.   
“I figured you were older, no offense! You just look more put together or something.”  
“In pajamas?...”  
“You’d be surprised.”

Now that you had a chance to look at him, you saw that he looked quite cleaned up but had cuts all over his face and forearms. Yet his hair was immaculate for some reason, and something about him struck you as out of the ordinary. Your silent, nervous staring competition came to an end when the woman brought you your drinks, and set them down before you. Leon quickly grabbed the mug of coffee, wrapping his hands around the warm cup.

He continued to maintain his gaze on you, not taking a sip of his coffee yet. He was waiting for you to say something, or just do something. Nervously, he pressed his lips into a thin line and raised one brow. “So…” 

Right after speaking he shifted his eyes to his drink, and kept it there, trying to avoid your eyes meeting his now, but he'd made note of your eye color and your features by now. You lowered your voice, but you were itching to call him out on what you noticed a few minutes ago. 

“Drinking and driving? Then coffee? At 3 AM?”

He smirked, and swallowed the piece of gum. “As I said, life's not very easy right now.” Finally he took a sip of the coffee, and grimaced at the presumably odd taste of mint mixed with hot coffee. 

Being inebriated, he had to be a bit more mindful with what he said and it didn't escape him that he thought you were very pretty. He was almost flabbergasted in his buzzed state, he's only seen zombies, dead people and blank, mind numbing interrogation rooms and roads the past week, carved into his brain, and you were a sight for his sore eyes. For now he'd keep his mouth shut. He's had enough of women not giving him a break as of late, and didn't want to go down that rabbit hole again. But maybe he'd change his mind in a bit. 

“I know it's not. But I'm glad you- someone called.”  
“Well I'm one lucky bastard to have had the audacity to call you at 3 in the morning.”   
This time, he met your eyes again, and you noticed their striking shade of blue.   
“I guess you are.”  
“So… I can pay you the deposit back and split the rent with you, I could also just cover the whole first month. Like fuck, I’d pay all your rent. I just need a roof over my head within a week, but there's just too much fucking paperwork to get a place alone. To be honest I don’t want to be alone either.”

It surprised you that he was fairly straightforward, indicating that he meant business and wasn't just some weirdo who called you at 3 in the morning to waste your time. 

“Didn't you say you're pretty much homeless? What happened to you?”  
He glanced around the diner nervously, just to make sure the woman who brought the drinks wasn’t in hearing range. He reduced his voice to a whisper, or at least tried to.

“I just drove here from Raccoon City. What's left of it.”

That was enough explanation for you, and you immediately put a couple of pieces together in your head. The cuts and bruises, his comment about how his life is in shambles. The black parts of your pupils expanded, and Leon gave you a nervous look. You heard the news already, even if you're on the opposite side of the country.

You would find out the full truth of the aftermath a bit later, inevitably.

“I thought there were no survivors?” You asked, trying to keep your voice down as well.

“That's what they say for now. There were 3. To my knowledge, including me. There was another girl, some sort of mercenary or double agent, I don't know if she lived or died but she fell into this huge fucking hole when everything self destructed. I- she… Never mind. I hope she's dead.”

He seemed a bit more on edge as you approached the very subject matter that has been driving him mad this past week. You also figured that he's probably drinking because of that. Slowly, it was coming together. You didn't want to shoot him with more questions, and he seemed a tad embarrassed for spitting that all out to you, a stranger. You didn’t think you’d find yourself in an empty diner with a man who just escaped a horde of zombies, tipsy and still looking handsome, at that.

“Anyway, the past is the past, and I got re-assigned here. As far as they could get me from that stupid city I guess. I start in a week.” 

You did feel bad for him, and gave him an empathetic look. You felt tempted to reach out for his hand since he seemed really stressed out, but you refrained. 

“Let's just say we have a deal. We can sort out all of the money stuff over the weekend.” You smiled warmly, waiting for him to respond. His eyes lit up.   
“Really? No further questions?...”  
“I think we both need it.”  
“Thank you so much. You're an an-”   
He wanted to say angel, but realized that may sound inappropriate.   
“A what?”  
“You're a godsend.”  
“You're welcome I guess… Can't really thank anyone for wanting to evict everyone on my apartment block though.”

Leon didn't want to question you about your circumstances, but gladly accepted your brand new partnership to come. He either had to have a roommate or stay in a motel. And he'd much rather hunker down with someone than with many people at a motel. 

“Are you hungry or anything, by the way?”

You shook your head, but he could hear your stomach growl, as your cheeks turned slightly red. Leon placed his elbows on the table and leaned in as close as he could to you, without seeming inappropriate. “It's fine. I can pay. Don't worry.”  
“No really, I’m okay. I won't want to take more of your money.”   
He leaned back into his seat, tilting his head. 

“They paid me more than enough to shut up and not go to the news with this stuff. I can pay it no problem.”  
“But not enough to get a place here?”  
“As I said, I don’t trust myself alone.”  
“I see… But there's so many ads for roommates. Men too. Why'd you pick me?”

“I’m gonna fuck up my life even more if I stick around with guys or some random college kids, no offense. I’ve already got a damn drinking problem and... Also you just sounded interesting. Same work and all. Ladies are better at keeping my shitty habits in check, too.” Leon winked at you, he wouldn’t have done that if he were fully sober. Frankly, he’d be acting much different if he were sober meeting you.

It was hard to discern if he's just incredibly slick or completely and utterly naive, because he was ridiculously attractive, by far one of the most handsome men you've seen, and he hasn’t tried to talk you into random sex using his appearance as leverage. That’s what guys who are as handsome as him tend to do to you. Surely he must be aware of that?... He far exceeded your expectations; let alone for a roommate, and you reconsidered that maybe you would appreciate his company too, for other reasons. 

“So why did you only want a guy for a roommate?” Leon sipped on his coffee casually, but had a smug look on his face. He was expecting something raunchy or sleazy, but figured that's the price he will pay to find someone somewhat sane to share a living space with. And his standards for sane weren't very high.

“I'd go insane if I had to share with some other girl. They're all better than me. Anyone you pluck off the street looks better than me and is smarter, they're all just better.”

You looked up, and much to your surprise he had a very sad look on his face. Not disappointed that you're not in this for a fuck buddy, but sad that you felt that way. But he stayed silent, urging you to continue with his eyes. 

“Yeah it's selfish, but I can't live with anyone who will make me feel like shit just by existing. I know you could also think I'm ugly and gross, but I won't be comparing myself to you at least.” He just stared at you, and almost felt like someone kicked his metaphorical puppy when you said that about yourself. 

“What kind of fucking numbskull treated you like that for you to think this way?” This time he sounded a bit agitated, albeit on your behalf.   
“Doesn’t matter.”  
“Like hell, it matters. Those people are idiots. If you asked me out I’d be an idiot to say no.”   
That made you smile a bit, and he said, “That’s better. Keep doing that. Don’t believe that kind of trash talk.”

Leon quickly finished his coffee, and got his wallet out. You took that as a queue to finish your glass of water, but he told you to not rush or worry. He seemed to be too nice for a cop. Far too nice. Then again, he is chivalry incarnate, and a sucker for women like most men your age. It makes for a unique combination. 

“Do you want to come back to my place for the time being, now?” You asked, nervously. He was so nice right off the bat, and you felt bad leaving him to sit around until morning just to have the same conversation. Why not just get it done now?

Leon quickly nodded, and offered to walk you home before moving his car and bringing his things inside. How cute. 

“Are you even gonna be able to get some rest after that coffee?”  
“Don't worry about that, sweetheart. Don't worry about anything. I'll handle it.”

**Author's Note:**

> If the series seems familiar, yes it is the same one indeed- I just renamed to make it harder to find. 
> 
> Sorry if it was hard to find if you were looking for it in earnest, but this is one of the works that had a stronger association with other sites by name. This is a place for explicitly posting my work, and nothing else.


End file.
